Seattle Mariners week in review: Just shy of perfect

Don’t order any American League Champions hats or T-shirts just yet, but the team’s performance this past week has given Mariners fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Just about everything is going right, from outrageous offense to solid starts (and, in most cases, enough hitting to overcome not-so-solid starts) to shutdown relief pitching.

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon has made use of his full roster over the past few weeks, and almost everyone is producing. (Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

The Mariners improved to 34-29 on the season Monday with a 6-1 record for the road trip, the first time they’ve been five games above .500 since 2009. Their batters hit for a .270 average during those seven games, well above the team’s .239 season average entering the trip.

M’s manager Lloyd McClendon has mixed up his lineups, giving all 25 men on the active roster playing time, and nearly everyone is stepping up, from backup catcher John Buck to utility players Cole Gillespie and Willie Bloomquist. All 13 hitters on the active roster have gotten at least two starts in the past seven games.

It might be weird, but it’s certainly working. And as long as someone’s hitting, who cares who does it?